John Neil Randle
Captain, 2nd Battalion. Royal Norfolk Regiment
- Register No.
- 1019 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain (register: Temp. Captain) all Captains →
- Unit
- 2nd Battalion. Royal Norfolk Regiment all Royal Norfolk Regiment VCs →
- Date of action
- 4–6 May 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 12th of December 1944 all of 1944 →
- Born
- the 22nd December, 1917 at Benares, India
- Died
- in action on the 6th May, 1944 at Kohima, Assam, India
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at Kohima War Cemetery, Assam, India
Digest of citation
On 4th May 1944 at Kohima, Assam, India, a company of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, which was leading the attack against Japanese positions on a nearby ridge, was taken over by Captain Randle after his company Commander had been severely wounded. Although he had been wounded in the knee by a grenade splinters, he handled a very difficult situation, in the face of extremely heavy fire from the enemy, by outstanding leadership, initiative and courage he continued to inspire his company. Going forward, he brought in all wounded men who were lying outside the perimeter. Although suffering from pain from his wound, he refused to be evacuated, reconnoitring enemy positions, prior to the attack by his company. The attack opened on 6th May 1944, at dawn, with Captain Randle leading. One of the platoons reached the crest of the hill, whilst another ran into heavy machine-gun fire from a bunker. Captain Randle realised that the object must be to destroy this position, as it covered his line of communication as well as the rear of his position. Captain Randle, single-handedly, charged the enemy machine gun post, armed with a rifle and bayonet. Mortally wounded by continuous bursts of machine-gun fire he managed to reach the bunker. He then threw a grenade into the bunker, throwing his body across the slit in order to completely seal the blast
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
RANDLE, John Neil. (reg No. 1019).
Captain. 2nd Battalion. Royal Norfolk Regiment.
London Gazetted on 12th of December 1944.
Born on the 22nd December, 1917 at Benares, India.
Killed in action on the 6th May, 1944 at Kohima, Assam, India.
Memorial on grave at Kohima War Cemetery, Assam, India.
Digest of Citation reads: On 4th May 1944 at Kohima, Assam, India, a company of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, which was leading the attack against Japanese positions on a nearby ridge, was taken over by Captain Randle after his company Commander had been severely wounded. Although he had been wounded in the knee by a grenade splinters, he handled a very difficult situation, in the face of extremely heavy fire from the enemy, by outstanding leadership, initiative and courage he continued to inspire his company. Going forward, he brought in all wounded men who were lying outside the perimeter. Although suffering from pain from his wound, he refused to be evacuated, reconnoitring enemy positions, prior to the attack by his company. The attack opened on 6th May 1944, at dawn, with Captain Randle leading. One of the platoons reached the crest of the hill, whilst another ran into heavy machine-gun fire from a bunker. Captain Randle realised that the object must be to destroy this position, as it covered his line of communication as well as the rear of his position. Captain Randle, single-handedly, charged the enemy machine gun post, armed with a rifle and bayonet. Mortally wounded by continuous bursts of machine-gun fire he managed to reach the bunker. He then threw a grenade into the bunker, throwing his body across the slit in order to completely seal the blast.
Additional information:. Captain Randle was the brother-in-law of another VC., Flying Officer Leslie Thomas Manser, who was killed when his aircraft crashed in flames after he ordered the crew to bail out. Captain Randall graduated from Oxford just prior to the commencement of the World War Two. He was called up and serve with the East Surrey's. He attended an OTC and was commissioned to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. The Regiment was ordered to India in 1942. It is believed by some, that Randle's sacrifice was one of the most heroic of the 2nd World War, along with the courage shown by Sapper William Hackett, who, in World War One, sacrificed his life, to stay with a wounded comrade in a collapsing tunnel, when he could have quite easily have saved his own life.
Additional information
Captain Randle was the brother-in-law of another VC., Flying Officer Leslie Thomas Manser, who was killed when his aircraft crashed in flames after he ordered the crew to bail out. Captain Randall graduated from Oxford just prior to the commencement of the World War Two. He was called up and serve with the East Surrey's. He attended an OTC and was commissioned to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. The Regiment was ordered to India in 1942. It is believed by some, that Randle's sacrifice was one of the most heroic of the 2nd World War, along with the courage shown by Sapper William Hackett, who, in World War One, sacrificed his life, to stay with a wounded comrade in a collapsing tunnel, when he could have quite easily have saved his own life.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Kohima War Cemetery, Assam, India
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